Spring winder



I May 6, 1930.

O. KRAMER SPRING WINDER Filed June 16, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l a E J8 k 1 5 n pmmmu 1 111mm 3.

6 I 1 v 25 ll 2 UWenE-a/Iner ATTORNEY y 1930. o. KRAMER 1,757,911

SPRING WINDER Filed June 16, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OrrewJirarrwr INVENTOR ATTOR NEY Patented May 6, 1930 ra'rlzur OFFICE OWEN KRAMER, or DAYTON, OHIO SPRING WINDER Application filed June 16,

This invention relates to horology and its general object is to provide a device primarily designed for winding-up clock springs prior to placing them in their operative positions in a clock, thereby overcoming the difficulty experienced in endeavoring to put a spring in a clock in its unwound or partly wound. condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device that is capable of use in winding-up a clock spring and allows for easy removal of the spring from the device, with the spring held in its wound-up condition, whereby it can be placed in a clock accordingly,

without interfering with the clock gears or partsadjacent to the space adapted to be occupied by the spring. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring winder of the character set forth, that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in operation and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan viewof the device.

forming the subject matter of the present invention. V

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the top section of the winder showing a spring therein held in its wound-up condition through the instrumentality of a chain which forms a part of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken approxlmately on line 44 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the manner of securing the innermost convolution of the spring to the wind ing arbor.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the handle 1928. Serial No. 286,033.

for holding the device during the winding operation.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device which forms the subject matter of the present invention includes a pair of separable sections each of which is made up of a disk plate indicated respectively by the reference numerals 1 and 2. These disk plates 1 and 2 are of the same diameter and areflanged to provide confronting annular inwardly extending projections 3 disposed adjacent the outer peripheries thereof as clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The extreme outer edges of the disk plates are bent to provide a head 4. The projections 3 cooperate with each other as well as posts 5 to receive the outer convolution of the spring 6 when the latter is placed in the winder to be wound-up as shown in Figures 3 and 4. V

The posts 5 are fixedly secured to the top section 1 and have reduced outer ends for the purpose of being. received in openings 7 arranged in the bottom disk plate 2, and these disk plates are held in cooperative association 7 through the instrumentality of bails 8 having one of their bight portions secured in sleeves formed in strips 9 fixed to the upper disk 1 and having the ends thereof opposite to the sleeves disposed for receiving the fixed ends ofthe posts 5. The free ends of the bails 8 are bent to provide hooks 10 adapted to be disposed over the outer periphery of the bottom disk in the manner as shown in Figure 4. By this construction, it will be apparent that the bails 8 act as latching members for securing the disk plates in cooperative position.

Secured to the bottom plate through the instrumentality of rivets 11 passing through a flange 12 formed therewith is the handle 13 of the device whichas shown is substan tially cylindrical in formation so. as to provide a firm gripping surface as will be apparent.

Passing centrally through the top disk plate is the winding arbor 14 and this windingarbor has secured to its inner end a stud 15 for the purpose of being received in the slot formed in the inner convolution of the spring 6 whereby the spring is held at its inner end so that it may be wound in a manner which will be presently described. The extreme inner end of the arbor 14 is reduced so as to be received in an opening formed centrally in the lower disk plate 2, while the extreme outer end of the arbor 14 is formed with a square cornered shank 16 to accommodate the socketed end 17 of the winding handle 18. The winding handle is provided with an appropriate knob 19 swiveled on its outer end as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

Loosely receiving the winding arbor 14 is a bearing plate 20 having arms 21 radiating therefrom with their outer ends secured to the upper surface of the top disk plate 1 as best shown in Figure 1. Secured to the winding arbor 14 and mounted for rotation upon the bearing plate 20 is a ratchet gear 22 which is provided with a pawl 23 that is held in cooperative position with the teeth of the ratchet gear 22 through the medium of a spring 24.

The spring 24 has one end secured to one of the arms 21 while its opposite end is bent outwardly and disposed in contacting engagement with the operating end of the pawl 23 which is provided with a finger engaging lug 25 whereby the pawl can be thrown out of engagement with respect to the teeth of the ratchet gear as will be apparent. The upper disk 1 is provided with an opening 26 and registering with this opening is the bore of a bearing block 27 which is adapted to receive the spring holding arbor 28. The arbor 28 has a reduced inner end for the purpose of being detachably received in an opening formed in the lower disk plate 2 while the upper end of the arbor 28 is formed with a squared shank 29 to accommodate the socket of the crank handle whereby the arbor 29 may be moved when it is desired to dispose or remove the same from the sleeve formed in the outer end of the spring 6. The arbor 28 is removable from the device and is therefore slidably mounted in the bearing block 27. By having the arbor 28 removable, it can be inserted in the sleeve of the spring and removed therefrom when the spring is not disposed in the device.

From the above description and disclosure of the drawings, it will be obvious that I have provided a device primarily designed for winding clock springs and the like so that the springs can be easily and expeditiously replaced in clocks without interfering with the clock gears or adjacent parts disposed about the space occupied by the springs, and

when it is desired to wind the spring, the spring is partly wound by hand, the arbor 28 is disposed in the sleeve of the outer end of the spring, and the spring is then slipped over the Winding arbor for disposing the stud 15 in the slot of the inner end of the spring as shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings. The holding arbor is then placed in its bearing block and the lower disk is secured in operative position as shown in Figure 4. The crank is positioned on the winding arbor which is turned thereby until the spring is wound to its desired condition, then the lower disk is removed and a chain such as indicated by the reference numeral 30 is secured about the spring with one end received by a hook 231 tired to the opposite end of the chain as shown in Figure 3. The bottom plate is then replaced and the pawl is released from the teeth of the ratchet gear so as to allow the spring to unwind for the purpose of tightening the chain about the same, and alternate movement of the crank handle back and forth will move the stud 15 from the slot of the spring which can then be slipped off the winding arbor and placed in a clock in its wound-up condition.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a pair of cooperating disks, means for securing said disks together in face to face relation with respect to each other, a cylindrical handle secured to one of said disks, bails included in the disk securing means and being pivotally secured to one of said disks, hooks formed with said bails for receiving the other disk, spring winding and holding means associated with said disks, ratchet means included in the spring winding means and a handle for said spring windlng means.

2. A device of the character described comprising a pair of disks, annular projections extending from the outer periphery of said disks, posts secured to one of said disks and being adapted to be received in openings formed in the other disk, strips fixed to the post carrying disk and terminating in sleeves at one of the ends thereof, bails having one end pivotally secured in the sleeves, hooks formed with the opposite ends thereof and adapted to secure the disks in confronting relation with respect to each other with the PI'OJQCtlOIlS arranged accordingly, a handle secured to one of said disks and centrally extending therefrom, and spring winding and holding means associated with said disks whereby a spring may be wound between said disks and removed therefrom in its wound condition.

curing said disk plates in confronting relation with respect to each other, a handle secured to one of said disk plates and. centrally extending therefrom, a winding arbor secured to the other disk plate and detachably received in the disk plate having the handle, v

means for detachably securing a spring to the winding arbor, a spring holding arbor detachably associated with both of said plates, ratchet means for the spring winding arbor, both of said arbors being provided with square shanks, and a handle having a socket to accommodate said shanks.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

OWEN KRAMER. 

